Ancient History
The first inhabitants in Mexico were people who probably migrated
into the New World from Asia, perhaps by
crossing a land bridge that existed in the
Bering Strait at some time during the Ice
Age.
Then, they travelled south through Alaska,
Canada, the United States and into what is
today, Mexico. Different tribes settled in
different regions. This took place more than
40,000 years ago.
Ancient cultures of Mexico
Mexico's ancient cultures helped shape the country as it is today.
There was no direct succession from one group to another. Instead,
many cultures existed at the same time in various parts of Mexico
and Middle America (Mesoamerica), among them, the Olmecs, the
Teotihuacans, the Maya, the Mixtecs, the Zapotecs, the Tarascans,
the Totonacs and the Aztecs.
The Olmecs 1150- 300 BC
The Olmecs lived in the humid lowlands of
southern Veracruz and Tabasco along the
Gulf of Mexico. The word Olmec means
"the dweller in the land of rubber". The
Olmecs were great sculptors, whether
carving tiny jade figures or gigantic
basalt monuments. They considered jade
to be a precious stone. They are most famous for their carvings of
huge human heads made from boulders,
some weighing as much as 50 tons,
which they made without any metal tools.
The largest head found is 3.40 metres (10 feet) high. Nowadays, as
much as 17 of these colossal heads had been found.
The Olmecs carried these boulders as far as 100 kilometres (60
miles). Nobody knows how they did this. It is believed that the
stones were somehow dragged down to the nearest navigable stream
and from there transported on rafts up the Coatzacoalcos River.
Imagine the strength of the people who
were able to do this!
These colossal heads probably represent
rulers, warriors or athletes. The heads
seem to be wearing helmets like those
worn for American football so it is thought
these sculptures might be players of an
ancient ball game which was played by
the Olmecs as well as other groups from
the Mexican region. The Olmecs invented a calendar and influenced later cultures such as
the Aztecs, Mixtec, Totonac and the Maya.
The Teotihuacans 100 BC- AD 750
Teotihuacan is an ancient city that was built around 200 AD, in the
Valley of Mexico.
Teotihuacan means "The City of
the Gods". It is about one hour's
drive north of present day Mexico
City.
It was believed to be the place
where the gods were created; and
many people came on pilgrimages
to visit it. Before the Spanish
arrived, Teotihuacan had
about
150,000 inhabitants (as big as
Oxford), making it probably the
largest city in Mesoamerica.
The Teotihuacans built the temples, monuments, streets and
squares of their city based on their observations of
astronomy.
This is one of the most breathtaking archeological sites in all the
Americas. Even today you can still walk along the main street, called
the Avenue of the Dead, climb the Pyramid of the Moon and then
tackle the even higher Pyramid of the Sun, which compares in size to
the pyramids of Egypt.
The Temple of Quetzalcoatl is
covered in large, carved, feathered
snake heads. The Teotihuacans
used obsidian — a black volcanic
glass — for trading, cutting tools
and ornaments. The Teotihuacans
had a great influence over later
cultures and there is evidence that
they travelled as far as present day Guatemala.
The Ball Game
This was a game played by two
teams using a rubber ball, in a
rectangular court bordered by
stone walls. The players could
only use their elbows, hips and
knees to hit the ball, and the
aim was to send the ball
through stone rings which
were high on the sides of the
court. Injuries were sometimes
fatal so the players wore heavy
protective padding. It was so hard to put the ball through the rings
that the games usually lasted a long time. Information about the game is still being discovered by
archeologists. There are two explanations about the result of the
game. One is that the winning team
could claim clothes or jewellery from
the spectators, who usually watched
the game wearing their most elegant
outfits. So, when the ball went through
the hoop, it was not uncommon for the
spectators to flee with the winning
players in hot pursuit!
The other explanation is that it was a
religious game. After the game, a ceremony was held at which the
losing players were sacrificed to the gods.
Versions of the game still survive today in the North West of Mexico
and in the state of Oaxaca.